Verbs like ouvrir, couvrir, offrir, and accueillir will have similar endings in the present. Even though they are ‑ir verbs, their endings look more like ‑er verb endings in the present tense.
| j’ouvre | j’offre |
|---|---|
| tu ouvres | tu offres |
| il/elle ouvre | il/elle offre |
| nous ouvrons | nous offrons |
| vous ouvrez | vous offrez |
| ils/elles ouvrent | ils/elles offrent |
Ouvrir, couvrir, and offrir also have the same endings in passé composé!
J’ai ouvert la porte.
I opened the door.
Elle a couvert son bébé parce qu’il fait froid.
She covered up her baby because it’s cold out.
J’ai offert des fleurs à ma copine pour son anniversaire.
I gave flowers to my girlfriend for her birthday.
Notice that offrir can mean to offer or to give. But when it’s used to talk about gifts, offrir doesn’t mean to offer a gift, it really means to give it!
Je lui ai offert un cadeau.
I gave her a gift.
The word naissance means birth, but cadeau de naissance means baby gift!
And be careful! Date de naissance is the day you were born. It’s not the same as your anniversaire, or birthday!
Je voudrais vous offrir un cadeau de naissance.
I’d like to get you a baby gift.
Félicitations pour la naissance de votre fils !
Congratulations on the birth of your son!
Quel est votre date de naissance ?
What is your date of birth ?